Units

Samuel J. Ling; Jeff Sanny; and William Moebs

Units Used in Physics (Fundamental units in bold)
Quantity Common Symbol Unit Unit in Terms of Base SI Units
Acceleration \stackrel{\to }{a} m/s2 m/s2
Amount of substance n mole mol
Angle \theta ,\varphi radian (rad)
Angular acceleration \stackrel{\to }{\alpha } rad/s2 s−2
Angular frequency \omega rad/s s−1
Angular momentum \stackrel{\to }{L} \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}\text{/s} \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}\text{/s}
Angular velocity \stackrel{\to }{\omega } rad/s s−1
Area A m2 m2
Atomic number Z
Capacitance C farad (F) {\text{A}}^{2}·{\text{s}}^{4}\text{/}\text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}
Charge q, Q, e coulomb (C) \text{A}·\text{s}
Charge density:
    Line \lambda C/m \text{A}·\text{s/m}
    Surface \sigma C/m2 \text{A}·{\text{s/m}}^{2}
    Volume \rho C/m3 \text{A}·{\text{s/m}}^{3}
Conductivity \sigma \text{1/}\text{Ω}·\text{m} {\text{A}}^{2}·{\text{s}}^{3}\text{/kg}·{\text{m}}^{3}
Current I ampere A
Current density \stackrel{\to }{J} A/m2 A/m2
Density \rho kg/m3 kg/m3
Dielectric constant \kappa
Electric dipole moment \stackrel{\to }{p} \text{C}·\text{m} \text{A}·\text{s}·\text{m}
Electric field \stackrel{\to }{E} N/C \text{kg}·\text{m/A}·{\text{s}}^{3}
Electric flux \text{Φ} \text{N}·{\text{m}}^{2}\text{/}\text{C} \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{3}\text{/A}·{\text{s}}^{3}
Electromotive force \epsilon volt (V) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}\text{/A}·{\text{s}}^{3}
Energy E,U,K joule (J) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/s}}^{2}
Entropy S J/K \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/s}}^{2}·\text{K}
Force \stackrel{\to }{F} newton (N) \text{kg}·{\text{m/s}}^{2}
Frequency f hertz (Hz) s−1
Heat Q joule (J) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/s}}^{2}
Inductance L henry (H) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/A}}^{2}·{\text{s}}^{2}
Length: \ell ,L meter m
    Displacement \text{Δ}x,\text{Δ}\stackrel{\to }{r}
    Distance d, h
    Position x,y,z,\stackrel{\to }{r}
Magnetic dipole moment \stackrel{\to }{\mu } \text{N}·\text{J/T} \text{A}·{\text{m}}^{2}
Magnetic field \stackrel{\to }{B} \text{tesla}\left(\text{T}\right)=\left({\text{Wb/m}}^{2}\right) \text{kg/A}·{\text{s}}^{2}
Magnetic flux {\text{Φ}}_{\text{m}} weber (Wb) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}\text{/A}·{\text{s}}^{2}
Mass m, M kilogram kg
Molar specific heat C \text{J/mol}·\text{K} \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/s}}^{2}·\text{mol}·\text{K}
Moment of inertia I \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2} \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}
Momentum \stackrel{\to }{p} \text{kg}·\text{m/s} \text{kg}·\text{m/s}
Period T s s
Permeability of free space {\mu }_{0} {\text{N/A}}^{2}\text{=}\left(\text{H/m}\right) \text{kg}·{\text{m/A}}^{2}·{\text{s}}^{2}
Permittivity of free space {\epsilon }_{0} {\text{C}}^{2}\text{/N}·{\text{m}}^{2}\text{=}\left(\text{F/m}\right) {\text{A}}^{2}·{\text{s}}^{4}\text{/kg}·{\text{m}}^{3}
Potential V \text{volt}\left(\text{V}\right)=\left(\text{J/C}\right) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}\text{/A}·{\text{s}}^{3}
Power P \text{watt}\left(\text{W}\right)=\left(\text{J/s}\right) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/s}}^{3}
Pressure p \text{pascal}\left(\text{Pa}\right)=\left({\text{N/m}}^{2}\right) \text{kg/m}·{\text{s}}^{2}
Resistance R \text{ohm}\left(\text{Ω}\right)=\left(\text{V/A}\right) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/A}}^{2}·{\text{s}}^{3}
Specific heat c \text{J/kg}·\text{K} {\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/s}}^{2}·\text{K}
Speed \nu m/s m/s
Temperature T kelvin K
Time t second s
Torque \stackrel{\to }{\tau } \text{N}·\text{m} \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/s}}^{2}
Velocity \stackrel{\to }{v} m/s m/s
Volume V m3 m3
Wavelength \lambda m m
Work W \text{joule}\left(\text{J}\right)=\left(\text{N}·\text{m}\right) \text{kg}·{\text{m}}^{2}{\text{/s}}^{2}

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Units Copyright © by Samuel J. Ling; Jeff Sanny; and William Moebs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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